The Art of Adapting (47 page)

“Here we go,” Graham said.

“He seems nice enough. Competent.”

“Sure, he's fine. I guess I'll head in and give him the retainer fee now. Sound good?”

“Sounds good.”

Lana headed for her car as Graham headed back into the law office. She had lunch plans with Abbot at a nice restaurant in La Jolla overlooking the cove, his idea, to have something nice to look forward to afterward. She was nearly an hour early, since the mediation appointment had been so brief. She had time to wander along the cove, watch kids frolicking in the baby waves at the tiny inlet beach, spot a seal's glossy black head gazing shoreward about a hundred yards out to sea.

She was staring at the ocean, endless and peaceful and full of possibility yet ultimately unchanging, feeling lost in its vastness, when she heard a familiar trill.

“Lana, dear!”

She turned, already smiling, and spotted her old neighbors Dixie and John, walking arm in arm down the paved path. They took turns hugging and remarking on the beautiful day.

“You look wonderful,” Dixie said. “I haven't seen you since that time in the drugstore.”

“Valentine's Day,” Lana said.

“You must've taken my advice and given Janelle a call.” Dixie touched her hair and laughed.

“Dixie told me about you and Graham,” John said. “I sure am sorry to hear it.”

“Thanks,” Lana said. “We actually just started the divorce process today. It's time.” She shrugged, smiled, felt nothing but resolution at the words. Bad news about her marriage had lost its power over her.

“Well, we must have you over for dinner,” Dixie said. “You and the kids. I haven't seen them in so long.”

“Actually, we're having a party at the beach for the Fourth of July, if you'd like to join us,” Lana said.

Dixie and John exchanged smiles, such a long-running couple that they no longer existed as separate individuals, and agreed.

Lana headed into the restaurant and found Abbot waiting for her.

“There she is,” he said. “You look happy.”

“I am.” She smiled. “Ridiculously so.”

She was even happier when Allen Greer got back to her with the support amounts. She looked over the numbers and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She'd be able to live on it. Not extravagantly, but between the support and her income and Matt's help, she could keep the house and the lights on within it, and they would all have clothes and food and a little left over for some fun.

Graham was back to seeing the kids more often. Lana hoped it wasn't just because his support amount was based on how much time he spent with them. She figured whatever the incentive, the kids deserved more time with their father, and it was good they
were getting it. But she also took to writing down every minute they spent with him, in case he tried to artificially inflate his percentage of time with the kids to reduce the support amount. She was learning to look out for herself and her children, unapologetically.

But she was also learning to love again.

On the Fourth of July they headed to the beach early to stake out a prime spot, a grassy picnic area just steps from the sand. Abbot and John took turns manning the grill while Lana and Camille caught Dixie up on the neighborhood gossip. Lana had brought sparklers for the kids, who were probably too old for them, but some traditions were worth keeping no matter how much time marched forward.

Abbot's two sons were visiting him, on summer break from college and fresh from their mother's wedding in Colorado. They were handsome, broad-shouldered boys like their father, gentle and genuine and easy to get along with. One of them played guitar and sang old Bob Dylan tunes while Abby and Gabe snuggled nearby. Byron was teaching some parkour moves to Abbot's younger son while Betsy videotaped it and cheered them on.

Matt and Susan walked down the beach, shoes in hand, talking. Lana could see Matt gesturing out to sea as he spoke, waving his hands emphatically toward the setting sun, and Susan laughing and shaking her hair in the breeze as she listened.

They had all come so far, but still, thankfully, had so much further to go, so much more to do, and more time to do it. Lana inhaled the briny tang of the ocean, took in the endless swath of blue, the world laid out before them.

Abbot appeared at Lana's elbow, holding a brownie, waggling his eyebrows.

“Bad influence,” Lana said, holding his hand still to take a bite.

“Good influence,” Abbot said, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I love you,” Lana said.

“That must be one damn good brownie,” Abbot said. Lana laughed and leaned against him. Abbot kissed her temple, held her a little tighter. “And I love you.”

The kids lit the sparklers, took off down the beach with them, streaks of light carving a path in the darkness.

I had many supporters as I worked on this novel, and I sincerely appreciate every one of them. I am particularly grateful to the following people:

Harvey Klinger, agent extraordinaire, mentor, and motivator, for bringing out the best in me as a writer.

Everyone at Touchstone Books and Simon & Schuster who gave their time and energy to this project, especially Miya Kumangai.

Stacy Creamer, for turning a dream into reality.

My beta readers: Jessica Harris and Dav-Yell Grant Bruce for their feedback and support.

My dedicated Sunday babysitters: Bob Dunn and Kathie Dunn, for watching my girls while I write, and for being such terrific parents and grandparents.

Carol Dunn, proud mom and spoiling grandma, and Tracy Dunn Arrowsmith, best sister ever and fun auntie, who have watched me grow from a quiet little dreamer girl into whatever I am now and loved me fiercely the whole time.

Heather Swift and Holly Coleman, for their guidance and insight.

Meg Waite Clayton, Ellen Sussman, and Michelle Richmond, for their encouragement and advice.

Jeanene Nehira, Liz Radding, Rhea Karahalios, and Tracy Voeller, for always listening. And Sue Devries, Dana Dee Little, and Janie Ellison, my back-up mothers, for always knowing just what to say.

Jeffrey Harris, for giving me my best motivation ever: the two little girls that I love with all my heart.

My sweet Vizsla Toby, my favorite hiking buddy, for keeping me company while I write.

My vast network of family and adopted family: the Dunn, Jaeger, Branstetter, Harris, Whitfield, Bass, Kempster, and Boice clans, for being there, believing in me, and reminding me often.

My bright, talented, funny, athletic, artistic, beautiful daughters, Zoe and Maia, who turn even my hardest days into the best days I could possibly imagine. This novel is my proof to you that no dream is too big. Dream your own huge, ridiculously impossible dreams and go for it. I've got your back.

And most sincere love and gratitude to my uncle, Michael Dunn, for all he taught me about love, brilliance, quirkiness, kindness, self-acceptance, and the challenges and rewards of living with Asperger's. I love you and miss you.

Adapting to change is never easy—especially when that change involves your husband moving out and your brother with Asperger's moving into the home you share with your two teenaged children. Lana has been dealing with this for the past few months, and not very gracefully. She's been finding comfort in calories instead of moving on with her life, and she's not the only one having trouble adjusting. Her brother, Matt, is getting used to a new home with new rules and the unfamiliar sights and sounds of two noisy teenagers. Byron is a fifteen-year-old-boy busy trying to fit in and find himself at the same time, while his younger sister, Abby, is eating less and less, though nobody seems to notice. As they each face their own challenges and begin trying to pull themselves up, they realize that having each other to lean on may be the key to getting back on solid ground.
The Art of Adapting
is a moving debut about self-acceptance and love, and what it takes to grow and adjust—both individually and as a family.

1. 
The Art of Adapting
rotates between four different perspectives: Lana, Matt, Byron, and Abby. Whose story were you most interested in? How do you think the telling of their stories would have been affected by an omniscient third-person narrator instead? Is there anyone else's perspective you would've been interested in reading?

2. When Lana thinks about all the clothes Graham left behind, she wonders,
“How did people do that? Simply let loved ones go and carry on like they never mattered in the first place? Lana had the opposite problem. She kept everyone.”
Do you think you can let people go as though they never mattered? Does Lana manage to let go of Graham or anyone else by the end of the book?

3. How did reading Matt's story affect your understanding of Asperger's? Did it change any notions you had or illuminate anything about the disorder for you? Do you know anyone with Asperger's? If so, how did Matt's struggles compare to those of the person you know?

4. Compare Lana's relationship with Gloria to her relationship with Abby. How does Lana differ as a mother and a daughter? Does one role affect the other?

5. Many of the characters have a very particular way they relate to food, though clearly it is the biggest issue for Abby and Gloria. Discuss the important role that food plays in the story and how the act of eating was interpreted by different characters.

6. With his dad always encouraging him to keep up with sports, it takes Byron a while to realize that art is his calling. What do you think of Graham's parenting throughout the book? Did you ever feel pressured to follow someone else's passion instead of your own?

7. When Susan asks Matt what a girlfriend means to him as opposed to a friend, he says,
“A friend is someone you do stuff with. . . . But a girlfriend is someone you want to be with all the time, even when you don't do stuff together. You just want to be with them. Even doing nothing is fun with a girlfriend.”
What do you think of his response? How would you define the difference between a friend and a significant other?

8. Lana regrets that it took her so long to realize the severity of Abby's eating disorder and get her the help she really needed. Why do you think she couldn't see the problem sooner, when it was already obvious to both Mr. Franks and Matt? Who do you think played the biggest role in getting Abby back on the right track?

9. Do you agree with Lana's decision to tell her kids about her cancer scare? Should she have told them earlier? Not at all? How do you think parents should decide what to share with their kids and what to protect them from?

10. Lana and Abbott resolve to learn from their past relationships in order to not make the same mistakes with each other. Abbott asks her, “What's the main thing you've learned in your travels?” Reread her response and share your thoughts on the idea that
“no matter what . . . the answer is love.”
What would you say is the main thing you've learned from your personal experiences so far?

11. By the end of the book, there are wonderful new romances in bloom for each of the main characters. Discuss each of these relationships: how did they play a role in each person's growth and adaptation—were they cause or effect? Do you think they are built to last? Is there one relationship in particular that you're rooting for?

12. Discuss the title,
The Art of Adapting
. Everyone is adapting to the major changes involved with Graham moving out and Matt moving in, but in their own different ways. How do each of the characters adapt throughout the novel? Who do you think has come the farthest?

1. Want to see what kinds of gravity-defying moves Byron was practicing with the parkour club? Visit
www.parkour.com
to learn more about this unique sport and watch videos of live performances.

2. As Abby's therapist recommends, it's important to fill ourselves up with the positive. Make a list of things you like about yourself and pick one thing to share with the group during discussion.

3. Paint Nite is taking the country by storm. Take a cue from Byron and Matt and embrace your inner artist for a night of good friends and fun drinks at a guided painting class! Visit www.paintnite.com to find a location near you, or host your own version at your next book club meeting.

4. To learn more about Asperger's and autism, get further reading recommendations, and find out what you can do to help, visit
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/asperger-syndrome
.